1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates generally to systems and methods for preventing objects from being washed into drain systems such as those drain systems that provide for the egress of storm water from roadways, parking lots, and the like that may comprise curb inlets that provide a pathway for storm water to pass from, for example, a roadway, through a curb inlet, and into a drain system.
2. Background Art
Roadways, parking lots, and other similar structures generally comprise large, relatively flat exterior areas that are exposed to precipitation in any of its forms. These areas may act as collectors for precipitation in the form of rain, ice, sleet, and snow. Generally, these areas also comprise systems for collecting the precipitation and directing it into a system of fluid passageways or into a local reservoir so that the precipitation or storm water does not remain on the surface of the roadway, parking lot, or other structure. The precipitation or storm water is sometimes referred to as runoff and is typically in fluid form. In order to achieve collection of runoff so that it may be directed into a reservoir or other system, such as a storm water collection system, a system of gutters, curbs, drains and the like may be utilized.
A typical roadway surface or parking surface lot may be constructed at a slight gradient so that storm water runoff collects along one or more edges of the surface. The edge against which the water collects may terminate in a curb which may also serve to direct the water. In order for the water collected along the edge of such a surface to be directed into a storm water system, a drain is typically inserted in the curb at one or more desired positions such that storm water may egress the surface, pass through the drain, and continue to flow into the desired storm water collection system which may be a system of channels or pipes, or maybe a reservoir. Such drains or curb inlets represent an opening in the curb through which storm water must pass.
It is desirable that foreign objects or debris be prevented from passing into a storm water system. Since storm water must pass through the curb inlet as described above, such inlets represent an advantageous point at which filtration or grating may be applied in order to prevent the entry of undesirable objects, or other matter into the storm water drainage and collection system.
It is especially desirable in certain construction projects, such as, for example, housing construction, commercial construction, road construction, and any other construction that sediment and other unwanted foreign objects or material resulting from such construction activities be prevented from entering storm water systems. In the past, curb inlets have been blocked with items such as sandbags and the like, preventing the flow of water into the curb inlet. While this may prevent the entry of unwanted sediment and other foreign material from entering the storm water drainage system through a curb inlet, it also effectively prevents the curb inlet from performing its intended use, which is, namely, to act as a passageway for storm water runoff egress from, for example, a roadway under construction, into the storm water system.
Likewise, during times of extreme flooding such as may be experienced during periods of heavy rain such as may be experienced during storm events, it is desirable that storm water runoff be allowed to pass through a curb inlet into a storm water drainage system relatively unimpeded, while still preventing the passage of unwanted sediment or other foreign matter or debris into the storm water system through a curb inlet.
What is needed in the art, therefore, is an apparatus and/or method adapted to be used in conjunction with a curb inlet that prevents the entry of unwanted debris, sediment, pollutants, trash, yard waste, garbage, foreign objects or other unwanted matter from entering into a storm water drainage and collection system while still allowing fluids such as storm water runoff to pass through the curb inlet relatively unimpeded.